FAK dimerization controls its kinase-dependent functions at focal adhesions.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) controls adhesion-dependent cell motility, survival, and proliferation. FAK has kinase-dependent and kinase-independent functions, both of which play major roles in embryogenesis and tumor invasiveness. The precise mechanisms of FAK activation are not known.

Control of ALK (wild type and mutated forms) phosphorylation: specific role of the phosphatase PTP1B.

Phosphorylation of proteins on tyrosine residues is regulated by the activities of protein tyrosine kinases and protein tyrosine phosphatases. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) essentially and transiently expressed during development of the central and peripheral nervous systems. ALK has been identified as a major neuroblastoma predisposition gene and activating mutations have been identified in a subset of sporadic neuroblastoma tumors.

Internalization and down-regulation of the ALK receptor in neuroblastoma cell lines upon monoclonal antibodies treatment.

Recently, activating mutations of the full length ALK receptor, with two hot spots at positions F1174 and R1275, have been characterized in sporadic cases of neuroblastoma. Here, we report similar basal patterns of ALK phosphorylation between the neuroblastoma IMR-32 cell line, which expresses only the wild-type receptor (ALK(WT)), and the SH-SY5Y cell line, which exhibits a heterozygous ALK F1174L mutation and expresses both ALK(WT) and ALK(F1174L) receptors. We demonstrate that this lack of detectable increased phosphorylation in SH-SY5Y cells is a result of intracellular retention and proteasomal degradation of the mutated receptor.

The constitutive activity of the ALK mutated at positions F1174 or R1275 impairs receptor trafficking.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), which is transiently expressed during development of the central and peripheral nervous system. ALK has been recently identified as a major neuroblastoma predisposition gene and activating mutations have also been identified in a subset of sporadic neuroblastoma tumors. Two hot spots of ALK mutations have been observed at positions F1174 and R1275.

Activation of the orphan receptor tyrosine kinase ALK by zinc.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a receptor tyrosine kinase essentially and transiently expressed during development of the central and peripheral nervous system. The nature of the cognate ligand of this receptor in Vertebrates is still a matter of debate. During synaptic transmission the release of ionic zinc found in vesicles of certain glutamatergic and gabaergic terminals may act as a neuromodulator by binding to pre- or post-synaptic receptors.

Syndecan-3 and syndecan-4 are enriched in Schwann cell perinodal processes.

Background: Nodes of Ranvier correspond to specialized axonal domains where voltage-gated sodium channels are highly concentrated. In the peripheral nervous system, they are covered by Schwann cells microvilli, where three homologous cytoskeletal-associated proteins, ezrin, radixin and moesin (ERM proteins) have been found, to be enriched. These glial processes are thought to play a crucial role in organizing axonal nodal domains during development.

PIAS1-mediated sumoylation of focal adhesion kinase activates its autophosphorylation.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a protein tyrosine kinase enriched in focal adhesions, which plays a critical role in integrin-dependent cell motility and survival. The crucial step in its activation is autophosphorylation on Tyr-397, which promotes the recruitment of several enzymes including Src family kinases and the activation of multiple signaling pathways. We found in a yeast two-hybrid screen that the N-terminal domain of FAK interacted with protein inhibitor of activated STAT1 (PIAS1).

Distribution, cellular localization and functional role of CCR2 chemokine receptors in adult rat brain.

Recent studies demonstrated that the chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1)/CCL2 and its receptor, CCR2, play important roles in various brain diseases. In this study, using quantitative autoradiography, we studied the pharmacological properties of [125l]MCP-1/CCL2 binding in rat brain and we clearly showed the distribution of CCR2 receptors in cerebral cortex, nucleus accumbens, striatum, amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, substantia nigra, mammillary bodies and raphe nuclei. Moreover, using double fluorescent immunohistochemistry, we showed that CCR2 receptors were constitutively expressed on neurons and astrocytes.

[Epidemiologic study of the cystic fibrosis gene in the Champagne-Ardenne region].

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal autosomal recessive disorder among Caucasians and is caused by abnormalities in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene (CFTR). CFTR gene encodes a chloride channel that regulates secretion in many exocrine tissues especially pancreatic and pulmonary tissues. The clinical presentation of cystic fibrosis is highly variable with isolated CAVD (congenital absence of vas deferens) and/or typical pancreatic and pulmonary manifestations.

Non radioactive single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of exon 11 of the CFTR gene using the Pharmacia PhastSystem.

The authors report here the use of the PhastSystem (Pharmacia) to perform the single strand conformation polymorphism analysis of polymerase chain reaction products of the exon 11 of the CFTR gene. It provides a rapid (2 hours) safe and reliable technique for the development of carrier testing for individuals or couples with a family history of cystic fibrosis.

A new nonisotopic detection of human papillomavirus DNA using polymerase chain reaction.

A novel technique using a two-step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with specific primers detecting human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA of types 6/11, 16, and 18 and a final nonisotopic colorimetric detection has been developed. Sixty formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded sections were treated with this methodology and the results compared with those obtained with in situ hybridization (ISH). Twenty cases displaying HPV DNA with ISH were positive with PCR.

Differential localization of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator in normal and cystic fibrosis airway epithelium.

Deletion of the amino acid residue Phe 508 of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein represents the most common mutation identified in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. A monoclonal and a polyclonal antibody directed against different regions of CFTR were used to localize the CFTR protein in normal and CF airway epithelium derived from polyps of non-CF and CF subjects homozygous for the delta Phe 508 CFTR mutation. To identify the cellular and subcellular localization of CFTR, immunofluorescent light microscopy, confocal scanning microscopy, and immunogold transmission electron microscopy were performed on cryofixed tissue.

DNA content measurement and in situ hybridization in condylomatous cervical lesions.

The present study reports results obtained with DNA ploidy measurement by Feulgen cytophotometry and in situ hybridization (ISH) on the same sections of 36 cervical lesions containing human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. Fifteen of 16 low grade lesions [11 flat condylomas and five condylomatous with intraepithelial neoplasias (CIN)-1, 1 with condylomatous features] were diploid. "Oncogenic" HPV (types 16 and 33) were detected in three of these cases, while the aneuploid case expressed HPV type 11.

Comparison of four non-radioactive and 35S-based methods for the detection of human papillomavirus DNA by in situ hybridization.

Human papillomavirus DNA was detected in 40 condylomatous lesions of various sites (vulva, cervix, larynx, penis and anus) by in situ hybridization using 35S-labelled probes and four non-radioactive probes to compare the various sensitivities of these techniques on the same material (formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded sections). Radioactive probes yielded 28 positive results out of 40 (70%). Sulphonated probes (HybriCyte kit) also gave 28 positive results with a fine pattern of hybridization grains and equal sensitivity to 35S-labelled probes.

Phosphorylation of stathmin and other proteins related to nerve growth factor-induced regulation of PC12 cells.

We previously identified a set of soluble proteins whose phosphorylation could be originally related to the multihormonal regulations of anterior pituitary cells. Among these proteins, stathmin (proteins 7 and 8) was found to be ubiquitous and mostly abundant in neurons. Interestingly, stathmin and some other phosphoproteins of the same set could be identified also in PC12 cells in culture.

Developmental tissue expression and phylogenetic conservation of stathmin, a phosphoprotein associated with cell regulations.

Stathmin is a 19-kDa phosphoprotein presumably involved in regulations of cell proliferation, differentiation, and functions as an intracellular relay for extracellular signals activating diverse second messenger pathways. Antisera prepared against the whole protein or against two peptides (residues 15-27 and 134-149) recognized the two isoforms (alpha and beta) of stathmin in their different phosphorylated states on immunoblots. Also, the possible existence of a family of stathmin-related proteins is suggested by the detection with some sera of proteins of 17, 21, and 60 kDa in brain.

[Use of digoxigenin-labeled probes for the detection of papillomaviruses by in situ hybridization].

A technique of detection of human papillomaviruses by in situ hybridization in paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed sections of genito-anal lesions is described. The probes are labeled by incorporation of digoxigenin-labeled nucleotides. The hybrids are revealed by immunohistochemistry with an anti-digoxigenin antibody coupled with alkaline phosphatase.

Phosphorylation of a group of proteins related to the physiological, multihormonal regulations of the various cell types in the anterior pituitary gland.

We previously identified a group of cytoplasmic phosphoproteins whose phosphorylation could be related to the multihormonal regulation of PRL in the homogeneous tumor-derived GH cell lines (set of proteins 1-11) and in heterogeneous normal anterior pituitary cells in culture (set of proteins 1-15). In normal cells, a mixture of hypothalamic hormones induced, like the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, stronger phosphorylation changes than TRH alone. Proteins of the set 1-15 are therefore likely to be present also in the nonmammotrophic anterior pituitary cell types, where their phosphorylation can be regulated by the hormones specific of the cell type considered.

Stathmin is a major phosphoprotein and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase substrate in mouse brain neurons but not in astrocytes in culture: regulation during ontogenesis.

Stathmin is a ubiquitous soluble protein (Mr approximately 19,000; pI approximately 6.2-5.5) whose phosphorylation is associated with the intracellular mechanisms involved in the regulations of cell differentiation and functions by extracellular effectors.

A single cDNA encodes two isoforms of stathmin, a developmentally regulated neuron-enriched phosphoprotein.

Stathmin, a 19-kDa neuron-enriched soluble phosphoprotein, has been recently proposed as an ubiquitous intracellular relay for the diverse extracellular signals regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and functions through various second messenger pathways (Sobel, A., Boutterin, M.C.

Intracellular substrates for extracellular signaling. Characterization of a ubiquitous, neuron-enriched phosphoprotein (stathmin).

We previously identified (Sobel, A., and Tashjian, A. H.

Phosphorylation of intracellular proteins related to the multihormonal regulation of prolactin: comparison of normal anterior pituitary cells in culture with the tumor-derived GH cell lines.

We have previously identified a group of cytoplasmic phosphoproteins (proteins 1-11) whose phosphorylation could be related, on a pharmacological basis, to the multihormonal regulation of PRL synthesis and release in the anterior pituitary tumor-derived GH cell lines. Phosphoproteins with identical migration properties on two-dimensional electrophoresis gels were also detectable in normal rat anterior pituitary cells in culture. We designed appropriate culture and [32P] phosphate-labeling conditions allowing to analyze the regulation of the phosphorylation of these proteins in normal pituitary cells.

Cytoplasmic protein phosphorylation related to multihormonal regulation of prolactin in pituitary cells.

The specialized functions of mammotropic cells from the anterior pituitary and of the pituitary tumor derived GH cell lines can be regulated by a large number of neurohormones and other substances. Although the biological responses to many of these regulatory signals are well documented, much less is known about the intracellular mechanisms involved in their action. Various "second messengers" are generated, which in turn regulate other intracellular activities like protein phosphorylation reactions.